William J. Coombs

From Point Isabel in November 1863 James wrote: “I have written a letter to Mr. Coombs but as I don’t know the initials of his name or his address I will send it to you in an open envelope” (James, November 20, 1863). Mother replied that “Mr. Coombs had read your letter to the school”, and that the teachers rushed to ask after James (Mother to James, December 27, 1863). Willie added that Mr. Coombs “read a part of it to the school and spoke about you as a teacher and how you appreciated a drink of water” (Willie to James, December 27, 1863). In January James mentioned “a long letter to Mr. Coombs” (James, January 18, 1864).

In 1865 the Sunday school of the Lee Avenue Baptist Church in Williamsburgh had 310 scholars and 35 teachers, and its superintendents were “Mr. Wm. J. Coombs and Mr. Geo. B. Germond” (Brooklyn Daily Times, May 26, 1865, p. 2). In 1865 and 1866 a “J. W. Coombs” represented the same church on the executive committee of the Williamsburgh City Mission and Relief Association (Brooklyn Daily Times, November 27, 1865, p. 2, and November 19, 1866, p. 2). The Wades were Baptists, and Durlyn Wade was “once a member of old Lee Avenue Baptist Church” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, February 26, 1907, p. 10). A Coombs at the head of a Williamsburgh Baptist Sunday school fits the Mr. Coombs who read James’s letter “to the school”, so this is probably him. The city directory for 1864 lists a “W. J. Coombs” at 35 South Tenth Street in Williamsburgh, near the Wades’ house on South Sixth (1864 Brooklyn City Directory, Eastern District), which supports “Wm. J.” over the “J. W.” of the 1865–66 lists. James himself did not know his initials.

Mentioned in 4

1863 Nov 20 & 26 Dec 27 (Mother) Dec 27 (Willie) 1864 Jan 18